Aquaponics Fox 5 Atlanta Report

FOX 5 Special: Farm in a Barrel
May 19, 2009
By Lisa Rayam

ATLANTA (MyFOX ATLANTA) - With the cost of food on the rise, planning a backyard garden seems like a practical idea these days. One Metro Atlanta scientist says not just any garden will do. Dr. David Epstein said Tuesday that he found a method that takes organic gardening to a whole new level.

There is plenty of green in Dr. Epstein's backyard. There is lush, overgrown grass, trees and even some weeds.

The Metro Atlanta scientist even has what he calls a farm in a barrel.

"The idea here is that you can raise your entire needs, veggies and fish and protein from a simple system," said Dr. Epstein.

A farm in a barrel is a self-contained eco-system that became Dr. Epstein's passion last summer after he saw a video of how it works on YouTube.com.

"I love gardening in the soil, but I like the ingenuity of this intense gardening method," said Dr. Epstein.

Dr. Epstein said the method is intense, but not very complicated. "Essentially, there are three tiers of beds that hold water and the plants extract nutrients out of the water."

Fish fuel the garden's growing system and waste from the fish produce nutrients to feed the plants. In turn, the plants and bacteria clean the water for the fish making the system 100 percent organic.

Dr. Epstein has become such a fan of the system that he now selling the gardens through his company, Earth Solutions.

Among the benefits, Dr. Epstein said the farm in a barrel system uses 90 percent less water than traditional gardens and by growing vegetables growers can make fewer trips to the grocery store.

'"So the amount of energy you are saving by not going to the grocery store is enough to run the system and then some," said Dr. Epstein.

According to Dr. Epstein, there is a much smaller system available on the market that yields the same results. Water-loving plants and vegetables can become bountiful in six to eight weeks.

The farm in a barrel method is already popular in places like Australia, Canada and the Virgin Islands.